The Ferozepur police have booked five persons in connection with an illegal cattle slaughterhouse and recovered nine live cattle at the Basti Nizamdin area in the city.The accused have been identified as Sukha, Sagar, Joginder, Baldev and Sheesha, all residents of Basti Nizamdin, who have been booked under section 325, 3 (5) of BNS along with section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 and section 8 (1) of the Punjab Prohibition of Cow Slaughter Act 1955 at Sadar police station (FIR No. 253).As per information, the police have arrested Sagar, one of the accused, and a manhunt has been launched to nab the other accused.It is pertinent to mention here that the police, along with some social activists, on Jattvibeday had raided a house at Basti Nizamdin where the accused had been running an illegal cattle slaughter and beef processing racket, which was busted near the city’s Hadda Rodi (animal carcass disposal site). Nine live cattle were rescued from the premises, while suspected beef and animal remains were recovered.Social activist Beant Singh Bhullar alleged that the accused had been illegally slaughtering cattle under the cover of the “Hadda Rodi” area for a long time. He claimed that earlier attempts to inspect the locality had been resisted by certain armed individuals.The matter was brought to the notice of Sandeep Verma, President, “Gau Suraksha Sewa Dal” Punjab, who also reached there with his supporters. Verma alleged that the accused were packaging and supplying beef to cities including Ludhiana, Bathinda and Jalandhar. He further claimed that live cattle were subjected to extreme cruelty before being slaughtered.While terming the incident extremely serious, Punjab Gau Aayog member Vinod Sohi said that no illegal activity could be allowed under the cover of a carcass disposal facility. He said a detailed report on the matter would be submitted to the Punjab Gau Aayog, and the district administration would be urged to take stringent action against all those involved.DSP Sukhwinder Singh said that the police have launched a manhunt to nab the other accused and soon they will be arrested.